Sever's disease

Definition

Sever's disease is a benign condition that occurs during puberty, usually between the ages of 10 and 16. In medical terms, this is called a posterior calcaneal apophysitis, i.e. an abnormality involving the posterior growth and protrusion of the heel bone.

Symptoms

Sever's disease is characterized by the following symptoms:

severe pain localized in the heel or on the sides of the rear foot;

pain is increased by the effort of walking;

resting improves clinical signs.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of Sever's disease is clinical, i.e. it requires no further testing: the location of pain, circumstances of onset and age allow for an accurate diagnosis. A radiograph of the foot sometimes reinforces the suspicion, showing a condensed view of the calcaneal apophysis, but this sign is not systematic, which makes the interest of the radiography minor.

Treatment

Sever's disease is treated by a break from sports and physical activity for a few weeks. The disease heals itself with good rest.